LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Lakeport's Derek Thorn wrapped up the 2011 SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour season with a strong victory in the Sigma Engineering 154 on the competitive Bullring at Las Vegas Saturday night. The victorious night closed the curtain on a strong season for Thorn and his entire foursome of Joiner Race Cars that were a force to contend with in the tenth segment of the series that spans the southwest region of the United States.
Debuting the the brand new #26 Superior Crankshaft/JRI Toyota Camry with the Gen 1 JRC Truck Arm Chassis beneath it, Thorn charged his way through the competitive field despite taking the green flag after an 11 car inversion challenged his fast qualifying run and a pit stop under caution later in the race that forced another trek to the front.
Success started early for Thorn over the weekend. On Friday night, he led practice with the fastest laps of the night. On Saturday he topped the charts in qualifying with a 14:393 second lap. The effort was Thorn's seventh fast qualifier award of the season in the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series.
Despite the 11 car inversion, Thorn took little time working his way toward the front of the field and was up to the fourth position as early as the 10th lap. One restart later he moved into the top three and began chasing down his JRC Teammate Joe Farre for the bridesmaid position. Thorn overtook Farre, who later spun after a collision with a lapped car and drew a caution flag that became crucial for Thorn later in the race.
Pitting for tires under the caution, Thorn put himself thick in the field and began working his way back towards the front of the field. With 90 laps in the record book, Thorn had already advanced into the top five. Just past the 100 lap mark, Thorn was back in the bridesmaid position and challenging JRC teammate Reed for the lead position. On the 140th lap, Thorn muscled his Camry into the lead he would never relinquish.
With Saturday's victory, Thorn secured third place in the 2011 Spears SRL Southwest Tour Championship standings. Thorn will return to Vegas this weekend to compete in the Super Late Models with Joiner Race Cars. Next weekend he will return to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in Phoenix.
In his 16 year career, Derek Thorn has made 141 asphalt starts. He has had 29 overall wins, 85 top five finishes and 114 top ten finishes. He is a four time track champion on both dirt and asphalt venues.
Derek Thorn is proud to carry the sponsorship of Superior Crankshaft and a number of marketing partners in the 2011 SRL Spears Southwest Tour. Among the many contributors are Joiner Race Cars, Sigma Engineering, JRI Shocks, Eibach Springs, Joe's Racing Products, ARP Bodies, Finishline Signs, Fastenal and Joiner Motorsports.
To learn more about this talented young driver visit Derek Thorn's personal website at www.derekthorn.com. Further information can also be found at the site of one of his title sponsors, www.superiorcrankshaftracing.com.
